It’s been an exciting time for fans of retro gaming as both the Windjammers and Streets of Rage series have received shocking sequel announcements. Seeing these series reappear after over a decade out of the spotlight is a great surprise, and goes to show how important a tool nostalgia can be if used correctly by publishers. These newsworthy events got us thinking of other game series that are long overdue for a sequel, so we decided to outline seven franchises we’d love to see return.

Before we dive into the list, it’s worth noting that only series that have been dormant for over a decade (not counting reissues or compilation releases) were considered for the list. With that out of the way, check out seven long overdue sequels that we’re still waiting for!

Jet Set Radio

Smilebit's Jet Set Radio helped define the Dreamcast. The game's stylish cel-shaded visuals gave it a gorgeous look, it had an incredible soundtrack courtesy of Hideki Naganuma, and the innovative gameplay was unlike anything else on the market. However, it wasn't a gigantic sales success, and one wouldn't be off base suggesting it was a game that was released ahead of its time. One sequel, 2002’s Jet Set Radio Future, was released, but the game has largely remained a cult classic.

Considering how popular similar aesthetics and soundtracks have become, namely in Nintendo’s own Splatoon, a new Jet Set Radio seems like a perfect fit for Nintendo Switch. There’s even the opportunity to use the Joy-Cons in unique ways, such as having players shake them in order to use spray bottles. Gimmicks aside, SEGA should bring back their most stylish title, and give it one more shot at greatness.

Captain Commando

Capcom had a fantastic run of beat 'em up titles in the 90s, and the futuristic Captain Commando was one of the better ones. It featured a heroic team filled with cool looking characters, including a mech that was controlled by a baby, and built upon Final Fight's gameplay. It never received a sequel, and the titular character has largely disappeared besides the occasional cameo. A new title would give Capcom a chance at broadening its universe, and help further the resurgence of beat 'em ups that is currently taking place.

Ice Climbers

Few companies have as many iconic series as Nintendo has in their back pocket, and the Japanese publisher’s reverence for its own history has helped give some mediocre games a legendary aura. Nearly anyone that has gone back and played Ice Climbers have realized that the 1985 platformer is largely a chore to play as the awkward control scheme and physics have not aged gracefully. Despite this, the game’s protagonist duo of Popo and Nana have become iconic over the years.

Since the characters themselves have a degree of popularity, it’d be nice to see them associated with a better game. A new entry in the series could take the series’ basic premise of climbing up dangerous mountains, and expand upon it by adding a more complex narrative. The platformer would be a perfect opportunity for Nintendo to try some new ideas, and could help bolster the Switch’s ever growing line-up of exclusive titles.

Gex

Mascot revivals are all the rage at the moment as Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon are both back in the gaming spotlight as if the 90s never ended. While remastered versions of classic hits were the best way for those characters to shine again, the same can’t really be said for Crystal Dynamics’ anthropomorphic gecko Gex. The puzzle-platformer’s referential humor would undoubtedly seem dated in 2018, and much of its humor would now fall flat.

However, a new title in the series would allow Square Enix to poke fun at the nearly two decades worth of pop culture that have happened since Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko released in 1999. From mumble rappers to John Wick, there’s no shortage of things that the wisecracking gecko could lampoon. The nostalgic audience is clearly there for a smaller scale downloadable game, and it’d be unlike anything else that the Japanese publisher is currently putting out. If a new Gex is going to happen, then now is certainly the time.

Jumping Flash!

While it’s likely not the first Sony property that players want to see another entry in, the Jumping Flash! series of first-person platformers will always be associated with the cutting edge of gaming technology thanks to it being one of the marquee 3D titles for the original PlayStation. The first entry wowed gamers in 1995 by allowing players to traverse a colorful environment by double or triple-jumping. The two subsequent sequels delivered diminishing returns as there wasn’t nearly enough innovation to warrant multiple titles, and the series hasn’t been seen since 1999 because of the fact.

While changes are certainly needed for the series to have a place in the modern gaming climate, a new entry could work very well on PlayStation VR. Not only does Sony’s virtual reality headset lack first-party exclusives, but the cockpit-view of piloting a giant robotized rabbit would be perfect for VR. Give the game a psychadelic visual style, and it could easily be once again at the cutting edge for a new generation.

F-Zero

It's been over 14 years since Nintendo released a F-Zero game, but the racing series has been able to stay relevant thanks to Captain Falcon’s role as a Super Smash Bros. roster mainstay and some cameos in Mario Kart 8. Creator Shigeru Miyamoto has been hesitant about creating another entry in the series, as he said that their recent consoles have lacked a fresh sort of controller interface that would differentiate a new entry from past titles. However, enough time has passed that even a cookie-cutter sequel to the excellent F-Zero GX would leave fans more than happy, and the innovation could come in the form of robust online play.

A new F-Zero game on Nintendo Switch would make plenty of sense as the fast-paced series would look fantastic on the portable’s screen. The Joy-Con’s HD rumble would also add to the immersion of the futuristic racing, and help give it a new feel in the most literal of senses. Fan demand for a new entry has never been higher, and F-Zero has too storied of a history to just disappear from the spotlight altogether.

Blast Corps

When Microsoft acquired Rare back in 2002, they didn’t just gain one of the most talented developers at the time. The American publisher also picked up a plethora of beloved game titles, such as Killer Instinct, Battletoads, Banjo-Kazooie, and Perfect Dark. It’s taken over a decade for Microsoft to really take advantage of Rare’s back-catalog, as the Rare Replay compilation and new entries in some key series were finally released this console generation. Even though the Battletoads are set to make their grand return next year, there are still plenty of beloved Rare titles collecting dust rather than being used to their full potential.

One such game is Blast Corps, Rare’s destruction filled action game for the Nintendo 64. The game's 57 levels of puzzles could only be solved by destroying buildings, and there was really no experience quite like it at the time. Not only could a new entry up the ragdoll physics by a tenfold, but it would also help diversify Microsoft’s current line-up, which has circled around Halo and Gears of War for far too long. Blast Corps has an all-ages appeal that Microsoft is currently missing, and would serve as a great palette cleanser when players get tired of playing competitive shooters.